Book excerpt: Acutely unwell patients can deteriorate dangerously without timely recognition and intervention. Emergencies in Clinical Medicine provides an easy-to-use guide to the prompt management of common medical emergencies. Designed for rapid use, it explains how to arrive at a differential diagnosis and how to prevent, manage, or treat an emergency. The second edition has been fully updated to reflect current clinical guidelines and includes several new topics, from pulmonary oedemas to the overdose patient. Revised to cover the curricula for core medical training (CMT) and acute care common stem (ACS), this text addresses exactly what the trainee doctor needs to know. The text covers emergencies from both a problem-based and disease-based approach. Cross-referencing between these two sections enables quick reference under pressure, with clear, step-by-step instructions and advice on when and who to call for help. With key algorithms for quick reference and easy to follow symbols indicating clinical severity, from life-threatening to minor, this text will help clinical staff managing acutely ill patients in an easy-to-read and portable format.